Asian & Comparative Law LL.M.

Legal practice and legal policy today are interdisciplinary and global. Lawyers need a sophisticated understanding of legal and regulatory systems beyond their own in order to advise and lead in a complex world of global challenges. We educate lawyers for this changing world.

Our Asian and Comparative Law LL.M. program has a long and
rich history as the first of the UW School of Law’s graduate law programs.
Our Asian Law Center was founded over 50 years ago and has been an internationally recognized center for research, scholarship and education in Asian and comparative law. The
program is for law practitioners and other legal professionals
from various countries who wish to learn U.S. law, and for U.S.
students to deepen their understanding of the laws of various
Asian countries. Graduates from the program are uniquely
prepared for the complexities of global society and adept at
navigating legal and cultural norms of the U.S. and Asia. Our strong ties with China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand, as well as the Islamic world, ensure a stimulating,
collaborative environment for the future leaders in Asian and
Comparative Law. Our goal is to train our students to become world-class lawyers, able to transition from one legal system to another, bridging the gap between civil law and common law systems.

“It is easier now for me to explain Japanese law to our U.S. counterparts, because I know where they are coming from.”